On Wed, 16 Jan 2008 15:20:21 -0500, wrote:

Just a suggestion. It actually works.

If appropriate re-locate the thermostat. Choose a location like the
drywall directly in front of the furnace flue pipe. The thermostat
will show a higher reading than the actual temperature of the house
because of the radiant heat behind the wall. You can set it at 72 and
no one will be the wiser. Who would ever turn a thermostat above 72?
They'll just thinks that there is something wrong with them.


Another less radical option (and one less likely to raise suspicion)
is to relocate a floor or table lamp either directly below or in close
proximity to the wall thermostat -- the heat radiated from this lamp
will "fool" the thermostat into thinking the living space is warmer
than it really is.

To ensure good results, you may have to remove any lower wattage CFL
or energy saving lamp, if so equipped, and revert back to a
traditional 40, 60 or 100-watt incandescent (for really demanding
applications, substitute a 150 or 200-watt version and mumble
something about your failing eyesight). =

Experiment with this and, above all, be subtle about it so that the
powers that be don't catch on to what you're doing and, if they do,
feign ignorance, as in "oh, how silly of me, dear... I never would
have thought of that...".

Using trickery and deceit to save one marriage at a time...

Cheers,
Paul